Township Committee Meeting Covered A Lot Of Ground

The first regular Springfield Township Committee meeting of 2010 was held on Jan. 12, in the Kenneth Faigenbaum Committee Chamber. It smoothly covered a wide range of topics and updates. Mayor Ziad Andrew Shehady, Deputy Mayor Bart Fraenkel, Committee Members Jerry Fernandez, Hugh Keffer, Marc Krauss, Township Attorney Jeffery Lehrer and Township Administrator Edward Fanning attended.

The discussion generally fell under these topics: Technology, Roadway and Vehicle, 'Green' issues, Recreation and Government.

Technology: Township Administrator Edward Fanning reported Springfield is switching telephone providers and that there is an issue in 'porting' (or keeping) the current numbers. While there is a Federal law that regulates this issue for residential customers, that's not so for commercial users.  The new phones are installed and the target date for number porting is next Tuesday, Jan. 19. 

Fanning also said that the search for a technology coordinator continues. There was a back-and-forth discussion of the various merits of permanent hire vs. using a consultant.  One of the obstacles to hiring an employee is that the Township can't get the kind of person needed for the kind of money that can be paid as salary. The plan is to change the job specs to better reflect the salary level. Committeeman Krauss noted that an audit was needed so that there would be a better idea what hardware and software existed.

Toward the end of the meeting Mayor Shehady mentioned that the Township was moving forward with the initiative to televise Township Committee meetings.  More security cameras are needed for Court purposes and those cameras could possibly be used to also televise proceedings.

Roadway and Vehicle: Township vehicle maintenance is done on a mileage basis.  The record keeping is not consistent from department to department and better management, perhaps computerized reporting, is needed.  This information will also be useful in purchasing new fleet vehicles for the Township.  

It was noted that there was a donation of 34,000 pounds of road salt, the question was raised why township then ordered additional salt. Committeeman Krauss wondered about using sand rather than salt, and what the effect would be on the roadway. There was a discussion and Fanning noted that sand is better for the roadway.

Green Issues: Deputy Mayor Fraenkel reported on potential installation of transparent recycling bins in some parks and recreation facilities. 

Committeeman Keffer is attending a meeting about solar panels, with the idea of saving money on energy costs. They could potentially be installed on Town Hall's roof and depending upon whether the Township buys or leases the panels Springfield could either use the energy or receive a discount.

Members of the Township Beautification Committee attended the meeting to report on the many improvement the volunteer organization has made to public spaces including various plantings, painting and decorating and landscaping. Ruth Schwartz, chair of the Committee, gave a comprehensive report while other Committee members Rosalie Berger, Marge Grossbarth, Elaine Auer, Joan and Ted Lyons lent moral support.  This volunteer organization has been disbanded and folded into a new larger organization, a Springfield Improvement team, which all members are invited to join. 

In related issues, responsibility for Springfield Township office space maintenance was placed with the individual departments. While saving money, this has produced mixed 'cleanliness' results, especially in lavatory areas. It was decided that for health issues and for civic pride, bathroom cleaning will be outsourced.

There was also a discussion of hiring an Animal Control Officer to deal with live and dead animal problems. There are fewer animal control issues during the winter months, the Township Committee will put together bid specs for this position.

Recreation: The recreation department offers various courses for senior citizens.  The majority of the people taking these courses may not live in the township, so a cost benefit analysis should be done to determine if this is the best use of funds for the benefit of Springfield residents.  This would be done in time for the fall semester.

Deputy Mayor Fraenkel reported on issues related to coaching recreation sports teams such as fewer volunteer coaches.  While Fraenkel noted that the committee has a good cross-section of people and programs, he recommended a restructure that would make the Recreation Committee more community friendly. It was noted that there are a lot of basketball options but no skating. There was a discussion of creating a roller rink and the resultant insurance implications.

Government:  There was discussion of folding the new Public Safety Officer position into the Township Administrator position opening created by Edward Fanning's upcoming retirement. Not only would this be a budget friendly concept, but also it would allow Fanning to work with his successor, since the hire could be completed sooner rather than later.  It was noted that finding a person with the skills sets needed for both positions would not be difficult and there are several candidates who have already been recommended. 

Committee member Marc Krauss spoke about the upcoming 2010 Census and emphasized how an accurate count is important for receiving government assistance. 

The Mayor also invited everyone to the Jan. 19 Township Goal setting meeting to be held at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. There will be an observance of Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 18, 10 a.m., at Town Hall that is also open to the public.

The original version of this article included an incorrect date in its headline and incorrectly credited Mayor Shehady with discussing census information. We regret the error.